Furnace.



W. S. ROCKWELL.

FURNACE.

APPLlcAloN man JuLYzs, 1915.

1 17'?,O58. Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- iik @Oky @ha na'rnnr nnirnn eiserne' WALTER S.ROCKWELL, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO V7. S. ROCKWELL CMPANY, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., .A COREORATI-GN OF NEVI JERSEY.

FURNACE.

- chamber receives the heated annealing,

4Specication of Letters Patent.

' Patented ar. 255, lllil.

Application led July 28, 1915. Serial lilo. 42,2270.

To all vw/wm t may concern.'

Be it known that l, WALTER S. RocnwnLL, a citizen of the United States,residing at 300 lVest One Hundred and Sixth street, New York, county ofNew York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Furnaces, fully described and represented in thevfollowing specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthe same.

Thisinvention relates to that class of furnaces employed in heatingobjects of any desired character, as in the operations of hardening,coloring, tempering, 1'eheating, forging, dac., and the improvementsconsist in the construction hereinafter described and claimed. In suchfurnaces, the charge of material or articles to be treated is placedupon the working-Hoor of a chamber in which the heat is `applied to theobjects, and which will be called the heating-chamlier herein. Suchheatinggases from a chamber in whichsolid, liquid or gaseous fuel isburned, and this latter chamber is termed the combustion-chamber herein.

The passages for the entrance of the heated gases, and the escape of thewaste gases, are located at the side of the heating-chamber; and anadditional advantage is secured by forming a ledge at one or each sideof the heating-chamber, through the top of which such passages areextended, as such ledges provide a space at the edge or edges of theworking-floor for the circulation of the heated gases at the side orsides of the charge. lVith escape outlets near the floor level, theconstant inflow of heated gases forces. the burnt gases to movegradually downward from the roof of the .heatingchamber to the floor ofthe same before they can escape from the heating-chamber. Both sides ofheating-chamber are formed with a series or plurality of inlet andoutlet-passages so that both edges of the charge upon the working floorof the chamber are equally heated. The forced downward movement of thegases brings them positively into contact with the charge and causesthem to thoroughly heat the same in all parts alike as they pass to' theoutlet-passages adjacent to the edges of the working floor. The openingsof the inlet and outlet passages are arranged alternately in the lengthof the ledge, so thatthe currents of heated gaseswhich rise from theinlet-passages are more or lessfmixed with the descending body ofl burntgases moving toward the outletpassages in the same ledge. The locationof the inlet-passages inthe top surface of the ledges causes the heatedgases to move upward as they enter the heating-chamber, and thusprevents their overheating the edges of the charge upon theworking-floor.

The location of the outlet passages in the edges of the floor avoids theformation of so-callcd short-circuits of gases in the heating-chamber,which arise when the heated gases are admitted in the lower part of thechamberand are wasted by discharge into the air from the upper part, asin such case the hot gases naturally tend to rise without stratificationand escape from the upper -outlet without effectively heating the charge'uponl the working-floor.

rlhe completeness with which the gases are `mixed in the presentconstruction, and their retention in the chamber and upon the charge 'asthey move downwardly and enter the outlet passages, operates to utilizethe heat in the mostetcient manner. A greater effect or penetration ofthe heat is produced by the pressure of the accumulated gases in the'heating-chamber., which thus operate uniformly upon the heated charge.

The invention will .be understood by reference to the annexed drawing,in which-.- Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section at the middle ofthe furnace; 2 is a plan in section on line 2--2 in l; 3 is a sectiononline 3-3 in Fig. 2; and Fig. d; is an elevation of the furnace at theend having the door; Fig. 5 a section on line 5-5 in Fig. G. Fig. G is aplan of an alternative construction partly in section.

In Figs. l to 3 a designates the .side-walls of the furnace, the rearWalhand c the front-Wall having the onor-open. t; d provided with door Adoor opening is y shown' at one-end of the heating-chamber,

but the door-openings-may be made in both ends of the furnace ifdesired, andare prefera-bly niade' narrower than the space betweenits"sidelwal1s, which contains .the chamber-floor. The oor of 'theheatingehamber is shown provided with ledges e next the side-walls,between which ledges the space' may be considered astheworki11g-floo1",as the charge 'is confined `to such space by -the upwardprojection of the ledges.

Two combustion-chambers lg, g areishown 'beneath the floor oftlie"heatingchamber 'and supplied with burners it, 71,', for gas or '4oil. Any other suitable fuel may beused,

as coal burned upon a grate. These combustion-chambers are usedsnnultaneously and'not reversibly, Any outlet-flue z' for theA'heating-chamber, as indicated 'by the ar-l waste gases is extendedlengthwise of the furnace 'under the. combustion-chambers, andoutlet-passages 's are shown extended through'the ledges and through thefloor into connection with the outlet-flue as per arrows n.Inlet-passages Z extend from the combustion chambers upward-through thelmain floor and the ledges, and introduce the heated. gases into thelower side ofthe rows a.

Holes fm, are shown extended through the arches (over thecombustion-chambers) which formthe working-floor of the heating chamber,to distribute a proportion of the heated gases to the bottom of thecharge when the nature of the charge requires. The entire space betweenthe side-walls of the heating-chamber, which includes the working-floorand the space occupied by the ledges, may be termed the main-Hoorlof theheating-chamber through which the heated gases are introduced, and thespent gases escape.

r1 he working-Hoor is shown in Figi 8 having the usual iron T-bars aartly sunken in the material of the floor to support the pans, ingots orother charge a little above they Hoor, .so as to permit the access of tlie gases through '1 the holes fm., and their ci rc 1lat` ion beneath thecharge, when the heat' ng chamber is. charged'. 1

A damper lf:dl in the form cf a; slidin gate is shown applied to theoutlet flue to regulate lcombustion chambers, the heated gases of"-combustion rise upwardly through the holes the discharge of the spentgases.

The-'operation ofl the furnace is asffollows z-Combustion being effectedin the fm. and the inlet passages Z to generate the desired temperaturein the heating chamber.

The heated gase'snaturally 'rise to the top f of the heating chamber,where their accumulation forces the gases downward in strate toward theworking-Hoor .e until the gases-reach such floor, and the charge uponit, and are forced into the outlet passages k. As the inlet-passagesintroduce the heated an equal temperature is produced upon both edges ofthe charge upon the working floor, The location of the-outlet passagesclose to the looi'level compels such downward move-1 ment of the heatedgases and their pressure upon the charge before they can escape. Anyaccumulatlon of soot or dirtin such passages can be readily cleaned outthrough apertures c in the side wall of the furnace, which apertures areclosed by plugs 7a2. g

It will be noted that the passages 7c and Z in Figs. l' to 3 are notlformed in the sidefet gases at both sides Iof the heating-chamber,

walls of the furnace, and do not therefore weaken the side-walls, asiscommon inmany priorconstructions; but the inlet-passages are formedsolely through the main-floor of Y the heating-chamber and theledgesup'on it;

'and the outlet-passages are p conducted through the ledgesto theoutlet-line.

Such

outlet-passages are shown extended through the edges ofthe main-floor,'to reach the outlet-flue e'. When properly heated, the floor is chargedwith the material to be treated, the temperature being regulated by thedamper cwhich is operated to control the flow ofspent gases from theheating-chamber as may be Yrequired.

An alternative is shown 1n Figs. 5 and 6,

to illustrate a construction for the outlet- I passages, where the fluefor waste-gases low the l'eifel ofthe working-floor e, to per- 1 ilo mit'the extension of a lateral passage kafto connect with an uptake p inthe side-wall of the'furnaee. 'The upper edgeof the passage la isrepresented slightly below the level of l the working-floor e, so thatthe gases cannot escape to the uptake?)l until-saflicient pres'- sureisdeveloped` in' the heating-chamber to force the waste-'gases downward tothelevel of the working-floor. This seeuresa heating of theworking-floor or anyfcharge `laid uponit, while it' permits thewaste-gases to be discharged later-ally or upwardly from the lateralpassages k3; A damper csmay be applied to each o'f the 'uptakes, asshown.

One advantage of the use of the ledges-,is

'that the hoor cannot be so loaded as toprevent the circulationfof thegases' between the side-walls and the -material charged upon theworking-floor.

i 1 .te

of the articles. Such outlet-passagesalso The. discharge, by theoutlet-passages, be-

4 low or at the level of the working-11001' produces a gas-pressure uponthe floor and upon the articles which may be disposed upon the floor,thus insuring a more uniform heatingl maintain. the required heatnearthe door of the chamber, by reason of the gas-pressure which isgenerated and maintained therein.

They also admit of a stronger structure, with heating of the chamberVand the charge theref in, the heated gases. are introduced through"y `aseries of inlet-passages at both sides of the chamber, and at or closeto the floorlevel; and it Will be understood that these inlet-passagesoperate to continuously and simultaneously deliver the heated gasestovboth sides of the chamber, While the outletpassages operate tocontinuously removethe spent gases therefrom. l l

In my construction, the heated gases are continuously introduced throughtheV same passages, and the same outlet-passages also serve continuouslyto discharge the spent gases from the chamber.

It Will be observed that the inletand the outlet-passages are arrangedalternately along the sides of the working-floor (in the ledges), andproduce a plenum or pressure of the gases Within the chamber. Suchplenum is a necessary result of the gas-outletsvbeing vat the bottom ofthe heatingchamber, as the gases Would not pass from the out-lets insuch a location until a gaspressure Was generatedin the chamber and uponthe charge.

It Will be understood that as the incoming heated gases are lighter'than the outgoing gases partly cooled, they' force themselves upwardthrough the `descending body of gases in the chamber, and thussecure avery even distribution of the heat. thorough mixing is produced by thetravel of the gases from the bottom of the chamber to the top and backagain, and a perfectly uniform/pressure, in the chamber is also produced'because no outlet exists intermediate to the topand bottom to relievethe pressure above the level of the Workingloor.

A series or plurality of inlet and outletpassages along both theside-Walls of the chamber `is desirable in the present invention, todiifuse the heated gases throughout the chamber as'they-ienter the same,and. also to Withdraw Waste gases from numer- Such dra of the heatedgases toany particular. point. Y.

The location of the outlet passages at substantially the level oftheworking floor, and their arrangement alternately with the'inletpassages, gives them such a relation tol the inlet passages and to theWorking floor as ous'ipoints in thechamber so as to avoid any Atoproduce a' satisfactory action of the heat upon the charge, which isgreatly alfect'ed i by theheated gases being forced or built downwardlyinstrata from the roof of the -heating chamber into contact With thecharge.

The movement of the gases upward and downward between the floor and theroof of i the heating chamber, secures a most effective circulation ofthe gases adjacent tothe sides of the charge upon the floor, and securesan equal heating of the charge, Which would be' less effective with acharge lying close to the side Walls of a furnace Without such ledgesand passages.

[It has been found byv experience that slight changes in the dispositionof the inlet and outlet-passages make a very material' dilerenc'e in theoperation of a furnace, and many furnaces operate ineflciently beicausethe-heat is not properly distributed.

My disposition of the inlet and outlet-pas-V sages has been found inpractice to produce a most uniform eifect of the heat upon the charge,and to secure a rapidheating of the charge in the heating-chamber and -amaintenance of the heat in an economical manner.

Having thus set forth the naturel of the invention what is claimedherein is:

l. A furnace having a heating-chamber with a ledge along the Wall uponat least one side of the chamber, a combustionchamber with a series ofinlet-passages for supplying heated gases from the same'to theheating-chamber through the said ledge and a series of outlet-passagesextended from the heating-chamber through the same ledge, whereby inletand outlet-passages in the same ledge operate respectively tosimultaneously introduce the heated gases to and l remove the spentgases through the saine ledge in the vheating-chamber.

2. A furnace having a heating-chamber with ledges disposed upon thefloor of the heating-chamber along its Walls, means for supplying heatedgases simultaneously through inlets in the said ledges, and a pluralityof outlet-fines in the ledges operated continuously and simultaneouslyto remove the spent gases'from the heating-chamber.

outlet-passages extended through the said.

. ledges and disposed alternately therein with the inlet-pz`1ssages, theinlets and outlets operating respectively to continuously andsimultaneously deliver the heated gases' to and emove the spent gases:7mm the heat# ing-chamhen ln tesilmony Whereo .ll have heljelmto sel;my hand in the presence o two subscmbmg 10 WitnessesT www@ e., Reewmhh

